Sugar addiction and how to stop eating sugar.

The guys over at Coach Magazine asked me some questions about sugar recently and this is the article that they then wrote. It’s created quite a bit of chatter over on Twitter, so have a read and see what you think:

Sugar Addiction and How to Stop Eating Sugar

Is there really such a thing as sugar addiction? And how can you cut down on the sweet stuff?

Sugar is on almost everyone’s hitlist, with the government even stepping in to take action against it in its last budget with a tax on soft drinks that contain too much added sugar. However, that tax is two years away and sugar will continue to be responsible for diseases such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular issues, so to get some advice on how people can kick their sugar habit now, Coach began by speaking to British Dietetics Association spokesperson Priya Tew.

Is sugar genuinely addictive?

“Addiction is a strong word, so I wouldn’t call sugar addictive. However, sugar has been shown to stimulate the areas of the brain that are linked to addiction, the opiate receptors and the reward centre. So some people are more susceptible to this and may find they crave sugar more than others.”

Why do we crave sugar at certain times of the day, like the mid-afternoon snack?

“This is due to habit for some people, tiredness for others and sometimes thirst. Think about these things first to work out if you are actually hungry or not. Try having a drink, [and] if you still want something then choose a healthy snack that includes protein to help keep you satiated. Peanut butter on toast or hummus with vegetables sticks, for example.”

How can you recognise what food has sugar in it?

“Reading the list of ingredients on a food label will help with this – however, sugar can be found in a variety of disguises. Syrups, glucose, sucrose, fructose, honey and agave are all forms of sugar. It is helpful to remember that there are added sugars, and sugars that are found naturally as part of a food. It is the added sugars that we want to be reducing – but not cutting out [all sugars] completely. So sugar that is naturally found in fruit, natural yogurts and milk is OK.”

2 thoughts on “Sugar addiction and how to stop eating sugar.”

Thank you for the article on sugar. I am a type 2 and although there are many sites such as yours on sugar, it is not easy to find a reliable site which actually lista a daily menu to follow in order to reverse type 2.

From your knowledge, could you direct me to a site which offers a proper daily menu which can be followed for 7 days without my having to work out which foods, calories and so forth. I have been a vegetarian for 40 years but I also liked sweets, deserts, pizza and so forth which have caused my type 2. I want to stop and possibly reverse the process. Help please…